Joe and Jemima Lancelots' lives are turned upside down when their parents disappear without a trace. They are sent to live with their uncle, an Archeology professor. Fortunately the ten year old twins discover an ancient book that appears to have been their father’s. The book holds many secrets and the first is discovered when they are transported, back in time, to the lost city of Atlantis. Joining the Twins on this epic journey is their friend Charlie and their giant Tokinese Cat, Max.
Once they are in Atlantis, they discover how to use the book to communicate with their new friends and are surprised to find that Max can talk! Trouble is coming to the people of Atlantis and they need the travelers help. But how can the children protect the city and return to their own world? These questions (and more) are answered in the first title in a new series by Wendy Leighton Porter.
Our thoughts...
This is the kind of book I loved to read as a child- full of dusty attics and ancient mystery. Ms. Leighton Porter does an excellent job of keeping the pace of the adventure urgent but too scary or stressful for her young readers. The characters are easy to identify with. The siblings banter with each other and are curious, fun loving 10 year olds. Parents and Kids will appreciate the humor that comes from Max the talking Cat. There are references to well known mythological stories and includes information about the ancient Greeks and the possible location of the Island of Atlantis. I generally read books myself before introducing them to my kids. For this reason I have just begun to read this book aloud with our older daughter. As a Cat lover and mythology fan, She is hooked.
A great deal...
I imagine we will be reading more of the series in the near future because I just purchased the next 5 books in the series thanks to the great deal going on at Amazon right now.
All 6 books in the series (The Shadow of Atlantis (Shadows from the Past)
,The Shadow of the Minotaur 
, The Shadow of the Trojan Horse 
,The Shadow of the Pyramid 
, The Shadow of the Volcano 
,and The Shadow of Camelot 
) for only 99 cents each (e-book format). This offer ends Oct 28, 2013. An awesome giveaway...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
